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Fake job offers via WhatsApp have become a constant: cybercriminals take advantage of the reputation of certain brands or companies to offer non-existent jobs, with the sole objective of obtaining the personal data of their victims or some financial gain. ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, analyzes how these types of scams work, which use the name of big brands and companies, and offer an attractive part-time job performing tasks on the phone in exchange for commissions.
“We warn about various examples circulating on WhatsApp to be able to identify them, understand the strategies used by malicious actors in this type of scams, and thus avoid becoming a new victim”, says Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya, Head of the Research Lab at ESET Latin America.
Among the entities whose name or image is most often used to carry out scams, due to their great popularity or prestige, are online stores, job recruitment companies, applications and social networks. The main examples are:
Online stores:
- Amazon: An example was identified of how a supposed receptionist from the world-renowned company Amazon contacts a person, without even knowing their name, to start working through a commission format.
- Mercado Libre: The name of this company is widely used to generate interest in its potential victims, with high salaries and low efforts.
- Temu: Scams with different characteristics were identified. In this case, the supposed recruiter asks for an initial deposit of money from the victim and the message received, supposedly from a “recruiter” contains a link to a platform to start working. In both cases, ESET observes how Temu is once again the chosen excuse, taking advantage of its growing popularity in the region.
- Shein: The online sales platform present in 150 countries around the world is also used to carry out scams with a well-known formula: part-time work and high income. As is usual in these scams, the system of supposed rewards for commissions is present again. This time, under the promise of working for Shein.
- Berksha: This clothing chain, whose headquarters are located in Spain, is also used as a decoy. In the example identified, the ESET team was struck, for example, by the fact that the messages appear as Forwarded.
Applications and social networks
- Facebook: In this case, the name of the company is used to attract the attention of potential victims. The salary reward is very substantial, while the requirements to carry out the task are null.
- English:Tik Tok: This example uses the well-known social network and significant earnings to attract the attention of its victims. The supposed job involves the simple task of following specific brands.
- YouTube: In this case, a well-known brand is also used to offer supposedly tempting job offers, with good pay and that in theory only require one click.
- Google Maps: The scam seeks to generate interest with a supposed part-time job on Google Maps, promising easy money from a mobile device, dedicating a few minutes a day.
Job recruiters:
- SnagaJob: Two examples were identified where the scammer poses as the well-known job recruiter, with the promise of a simple job that will represent substantial earnings, or as a decoy to spread a supposed job proposal to increase the views of “celebrity” social media profiles.
- ZipRecruiter: Here we see how the leading online employment company on the market is also used for a scam, which promises a part-time job and high earnings.
“Knowing these examples is very useful to be aware of the new strategies that cybercriminals use when finding new victims. At the same time, paying attention to the various warning signs that are usually identifiable in this type of message with supposed job offers is also very important. Especially taking into account that large brands and organizations do not usually contact WhatsApp to present their job offers. And as always, the golden rule that applies to this type of message: if it is too good to be true, it probably is not”, concludes Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya from ESET Latin America.
